University of Hong Kong (HKU) - Missing an offer? :(

[dubyawhy]

Hi there!

I'm just wondering if any of you have heard of/know anything about the likelihood of "negotiating yourself in" to HKU if you've missed an offer by a small margin. My offer is 43 IB points. Is it likely I will be able to get in if I only have 42 points?

Thanks a lot! It would be VERY appreciated if anyone could contribute and put my mind to ease! 43 is a very tough offer!

[dniviE]

Seems to me that conditional offers are pretty much final. If you don't achieve the grades they set you won't get the space. Try contacting them if you want a clarification on it.

[ChocolateDrop]

Not sure about HKU specifically but generally, it depends on a lot of things.

1) How competitive the course is

2) How much they liked you as an applicant

3) If everyone else made their offer

4) How passionate you sound when trying to convinve them that you really want to do the course

5) How good you are at haggling

6) Timing

Having said that you still have a month before your final exams. Relax. Instead making queries about offers, you could revise to make sure you get the grades.

I feel your pain though, a 43 is really high. I think Cambridge may ask for that high on occasion.

Good luck

[dubyawhy]

Thanks guys -

But I'm looking for information more specifically on HKU. The standard information for UK universities won't help, I guess. I've heard many stories about students negotiating themselves into HKU, but I'm just wondering if this is a bunch of hogwash or not.

Can any HKers/people with knowledge on HKU chime in? THANKS

[parths29]

I don't think it will matter... actually I am pretty sure it won't... I think you will get selected if you get 42, but they will not provide you with the same scholarship option (that's if they have given you a scholarship)

[Sandwich]

I can't really shed any light on it I'm afraid, I don't know what the answer is, but what I would say is that time spent fretting about getting 42 instead of 43 and missing out on your offer COULD be spent turning a 42 into a 43. I'm not trying to say don't worry (and I agree it would be good for you to know for sure) but just make sure that you don't let the anxiety about this distract you from the main mission! That would really be the worst thing - try to put this sort of stuff to the back of your mind as much as possible to make sure it doesn't hinder your exam performance!

You may be doing this already, but just in case, I think it's always good to have somebody point you on task whenever you suddenly feel panicked Panic never helped anyone who wasn't running away from a T Rex. Best of luck!

[kok1223]

I cannot give you a certain answer, but I can share some of my friend's experience with you. I've known someone who applied to HKU and was given an offer but she failed to achieve it by 1 point. The university ultimately did accept her in. However, this does not happen for all the case, it depends on how good local students are doing this year in HK and their choices. It really depends on whether there is any space left for that degree and whether your other aspects including extra-curriculum activities, working experiences, community services and more. Your offer is actually quite high I would say, which degree did you applied to?

[dubyawhy]

I cannot give you a certain answer, but I can share some of my friend's experience with you. I've known someone who applied to HKU and was given an offer but she failed to achieve it by 1 point. The university ultimately did accept her in. However, this does not happen for all the case, it depends on how good local students are doing this year in HK and their choices. It really depends on whether there is any space left for that degree and whether your other aspects including extra-curriculum activities, working experiences, community services and more. Your offer is actually quite high I would say, which degree did you applied to?

BBA(Law).

Can I ask what course your friend applied to, what she achieved and what she asked for? What year of admission was this? Do you know any info about how your friend did this? Did she just ask really nicely?